THOUGHTS | TITAN ULTRA SIGNS JAMES MARTINEZ AND ARVIE BRINGAS

Arvie Bringas was Kia’s 36th pick in the 2017 PBA Draft. A former FEU standout, he delayed his PBA jump—and ended up paying the price. If he had gone straight to the pros and maybe spent a year sharpening his game in the D-League, I honestly think he could have been, at worst, a late second-rounder. Instead, he slipped to the fourth round, and not even a shallow Kia roster—one that almost had 30 players in rotation—could find space for him. That effectively pushed his career into the semi-pro scene.

James Martinez had a similar story, though earlier. Drafted 18th overall by Barangay Ginebra in 2011, the crowd cheered, but the team passed on signing him. Powerade gave him a shot, but cut him after one season. From there, Martinez became a basketball journeyman, bouncing across leagues here and abroad.

Fast forward to today, and both men are back in the PBA. With NorthPort waiting on CJ Austria, Mark Sangco, and Bryan Sajonia (who impressed in NCAA Season 101’s opener), the team signed Martinez and Bringas to fill the gaps. Martinez, now 38, has earned the “King of the Indies” label, his most notable stop being with Pureblends Similan Black Fox of the PSL—a precursor to Titan Ultra Giant Risers. Bringas, meanwhile, brings size to a team that needs it badly.

I actually like these pickups. They’re not about the paycheck—they’re about the shot. It reminds me of 2003, when Sta. Lucia traded for Kenneth Duremdes. His massive salary forced the Realtors to gut their bench and bring in forgotten names like Jason Webb, Jomar Tierra, and Allan Yu. Or when Alaska suddenly rolled out veterans like Joey Loyzaga, Joey Valdez, and Al David. Moves like these let players cross something off their bucket list. For Bringas, it’s finally stepping onto a PBA floor. For Martinez, it’s closing the loop on a career that began almost 15 years ago.

Of course, this feel-good story probably won’t last. Titan Ultra has its eyes on the future and is already lining up players whose rights they hold through NorthPort—names like Greg Slaughter, Dave Ildefonso, or even Arvin Tolentino down the line. You can tell they’re ready to move on too—Bringas was even spotted in practice wearing Ben Adamos’ jersey and Will Navarro’s shorts.

Still, I’ll root for these guys. If Titan Ultra can shed the farm team label and actually challenge the SMC giants, then maybe stories like Bringas and Martinez won’t feel like temporary stopgaps—but real turning points.